$60 or even $90/hour isn’t that great if its all 1099 income. It isn’t bad either, but the extra payroll taxes and the need to buy an individual plan (if your partner doesn’t get you into a group plan) make it pretty normal.
As a 1099 employee you need to be clearing at least double the equivalent employee hourly wage because there is so much overhead. Remember, a contractor doesn’t get a single day of paid vacation.
This does not count when a salaried employee works more than 40 hours.
My plumber charges 150/hour.
Contractors around here bill by the job. I had bids for $5000 for a 1 day job for 2 people when incorporated into a GC bid. The GC was getting 25% on top of the 5000.
You have to factor in not only benefits, but also:
* federal-level taxes (there’s no employer to pay the other half, so the contractor bears the whole portion)
* tools (you buy your own tools, stock your own spares, do your own maintenance on your dime — non-billable)
* learning and mandated certifications (same as above — non-billable)
* liability insurance (non-billable)
* vehicle maintenance, taxes, tolls, and fees (non-billable)
* transit time to and from not only contracted job sites, but also estimates that may ultimately result in no revenue (non-billable)
* marketing/lead generation (Angie’s List and HomeAdvisor are free to you, not to contractors — non-billable)
* material storage (you have the keep the customer’s plywood dry if the weather changes, or if the customer has a family emergency and needs to reschedule)
Further I don't believe it is possible for a hospital with all its specialized equipment to 1099 its nurses (doesn't pass the IRS '20 questions' test on contracting).
[0] https://allnurses.com/what-quot-agency-nursing-quot-t441525/